Australia’s Zookal

Australia’s got this pretty interesting thing going on with it’s textbook culture. Earlier this month, Zookal announced that it would provide something to customers called Express Delivery. This “Express Delivery” is much more than what we view as express mail in the United States – although it appears as if, by 2015, Zookal plans for it’s new service to expand to the States. They claim that a package can reach a customer within two to three minutes after the drone takes flight, using an app and GPS coordinates to transport the package to any outdoor location.

Will drones be the future of the delivery industry? (photo by Don McCullough)

What is so innovative about Zookal’s Express Delivery is that it is delivered by drones. Drones have been used for a variety of things, but never delivering specifically textbooks to the public.

Many people are finding fears that either this entire delivery service is a hoax, or that the drones will have cameras which (even though everything is outdoor anyway) may invade people’s privacy.

“Both the location of the user and the drone’s GPS coordinates are transmitted via a smartphone app, and Zookal claims deliveries can be completed in as little as two to three minutes once a drone takes flight.

You can track the drone’s progress from the app (which will only be available on Android at launch) and head outside once it’s getting close. The drone never fully lowers itself to ground level, but rather hovers overhead and lowers its textbook delivery with the tap of a button on your smartphone.”

So it seems as if Australia is taking flight (literally) into a new branch of technology.

The article then goes on to say that:

“As one of the few countries in the world to allow commercial drone activities, Australia is uniquely placed to create a new drone industry and shape the development of regulations in this space,” said Zookal CEO Ahmed Haider.

Flirtey, the company that’s providing the drones for Zookal’s ambitious plan, is in the process of seeking regulatory approval with Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA).

A test flight is slated for November, and if all goes according to plan, proper commercial deliveries will begin in March. The FAA will need first need to outline a clear policy for commercial drone usage before such a system can make its way to the US, something it hopes to do in 2015.”

This is something I want to follow, simply because I know that within a few years, it can grow to where I am. It can be used for more than just textbooks. It can change the way we look at the Postal service.

UPS might be a thing of the past after this hits the US – if it gets the okay from the proper authorities to do so.